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The 2006 Red C was drinking very very well - went down easy with the brisket my wife made. Could hold a couple of more years.

The 2011 Kayoumi riesling (the vintage that was available) was a bit lighter than i had expected, didn't have the strong fuitiness of the Hagafen rieslings or German ones, but otherwise seemed well constructed, with good fruit and good acid.

The 2009 Yaffo syrah was fruitier than expected, and ready for drinking now (surprising to me for an Israeli syrah).

GMW, Yiron 2005: The wine was gorgeous, throwing a HUGE deal of sediments and was definitely close to fall off the cliff. Still very good acid and tannins have integrated. However this was a bottle that was purchased recently at Ben Gurion Airport and thereby was certainly stored in less than perfect conditions. I do have one last bottle that was perfectly stored in my cellar since its release and will open it soon and report back.

Monday lunch:

Garzal, Ribera del Duero 2006: This was a sampler from a winery I had never heard of before and that was sent to me from Spain without notice (I never asked for it...). Unfortunately there ain't much to say about it. It's 100% Tempranillo aged in supposedly French oak barrels for 12 months. Some cherries and red currants with a slight smoked meat aroma and non existent tannins and somewhat volatile acidity, no finish...

Was invited to a Mimuna party after chag and brought a bottle of '11 Flam Classico to my hosts but they didn't open it...

Hi galil mt barbera surprised me in that the tannins were strongly present and didn't recede even after a while.kadesh Barnes rose was light with favors of strawberry and cotton candy and finishes with a citrus twist . Another surprise was don Guillermo chard 09.had tried this wine awhile ago and didn't care for it but it has nicely evolved.flavors of peaches and lemon with a medium finish.h

For the most part, the wines I poured were my 2010s that I had hand-bottled from tank for the purpose of the Chag, and they were useful as expected, but little else. The most interesting thing is that, as the Cab was bottled using sample vino-loks, those got some exposure, and it is surprising how well they were accepted by everyone- in fact, far better than cork. Other than mine, I served a Thompson Vineyards gifted me by Gabe. Everyone liked it and felt it was a tasty and high quality wine. To a person, though, when the price range was revealed, all said they would not buy it at the price more than once, to get the nifty label. Everyone could see buying Shirah's wines at least once per type, to get a collection of the packaging. We ate exclusively at our house, so we could not see what other drinkers-of-note were drinking. I know the community were not drinking particularly well, judging from the wines brought to neilas hachag to be finished. Or perhaps those were just the worst wines, that could not have been finished at home- perhaps gifts. But I suspect that most are still in that mediocre wine mode.

First night I opened the Covenant Landsman Zinfandel and the Cuvee Chabad Zinfandel - my wife and I both agreed that they are the same wine. These were paired with a Duck Confit Leg and Sous Vide Duck Breast with Duck Fat Potatoes for the appetizer and a Sous Vide Rack of Lamb for the main. TN was same as last time I had it with the only difference being how long it needed to breathe. The nose on this wine was very sweet, with notes of blackberries, cedar, and tobacco, the mouth on this wine had strong notes of dark fruit, cedar, and tobacco, with a hint of cocoa, and a long finish. Unlike my first time having this wine, both wines needed time to breathe and were much better the following day.

Second night I opened the Recanati Special Reserve 2006 and 2007 paired with a 2.5 lb Sous Vide Ribeye. I did not have a chance to give it time to breathe. It was very closed at dinner, though the 2007 was showing better than the 2006. By lunch the next day, they both opened up and were totally different - phenomenal, full bodied, with tons of dark fruit on the mouth and a rich and luxurious finish. The 2006 was better once they opened up but the 2007 was still excellent. The 2006 showed no signs of being past it's peak to me.

2010 Don Ernesto (Hagafen) Clarinet. A Rhone-style blend, seems like basically nicely fruity syrah with some barbera, possibly zinfandel, possibly merlot. Went down well now, will last a while, wouldn't cellar it for a long time.

2006 Hagafen Rousanne - golden color, seems to be a bit over the hill but my guests liked it because it was smooth.

2012 Terrenal malbec - always a great QPR wine (where else can you find a good wine for 16 shekels or four dollars?), this one had a very perfumy aroma and plummy somewhat perfumy taste - unusual in a malbec but the wine was still quite pleasant.

Over the second days of Passover I had several bottles, but for the most part those that I chose for the first days were better than those I had over the latter.

Whites:

Hagafen Prix Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - The added years didn't turn this into an outstanding wine. That notwithstanding, that wine combines the oak and the fruit into a nice package, albeit not an exciting one. The fruit is mellow, providing notes that are predominantly pears, and the oak adds a nice dustiness with perhaps hints of vanilla. B/**/Y

Four Gates Chardonnay 2005 - The last bottle I had seemed to show more caramel and cream than this one, that at the time caused to me think that the wine wasn't going to last that much longer. However, this one did not show like that, at all. Instead, this bottle showed bright and firm fruit with lively acidity that wasn't overshadowed by the oak. It was a very nice bottle, even if not sublime. B/***/Y

Reds:

Brobdignagian Grenache 2010 - Perhaps it is that I am still tracing the learning curve required to fully appreciate the variety, but at this juncture I find it to show a considerable sanguine character coupled by some earthiness, with a stingy fruit profile. The wine tastes fresh, and doesn't show any overt oak influences. B/**/Y

Hagafen Prix Syrah 2005 - Overall I found this to be rather dull, paling in comparison to the 2001 version I liked so much. The wine possesses basic red fruit complimented by some spiciness, but not enough to warrant the Prix designation. C+/*/N

Shirah Power to the People 2009 - This is a Syrah blended from fruit sourced at 2 esteemed Californian vineyards. Unfortunately, there is not much that stuck to my mind about this wine. I typically don't like to get bogged down with comparisons, but if it helps people know that I liked it better than the Hagafen Prix Syrah 2005 then I'll state it, though that isn't saying much. Of the three Syrahs I had over the holiday, I liked the Flam best. B-/*/N

BR Cohn Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 - This is a medium bodied wine that is drinking very well. I don't recall many details, but by my general impression was positive, considering a wine suitable for everyday drinking, not one I'd hold for a special occasion. For the price BR Cohn released it I would buy more, as I think that it compares nicely with many of the other kosher Californian wines selling for multiples of its price. B-/***/Y

Dessert:

Tzora Or 2006 - I loved its weight, the Gewurz spice and the honeyed stone fruit: apricot mostly. I think it is alive and well, and should be so for quite some time. A-/**/Y

2012 Yarden Sauvignon Blanc - Solid Kinor David 8 Year KPORT (Thank you Stacy) Crazy smooth for the style of flavors... Much different in a good way from the Real Ports too... Super Juicy yet when the sugar comes it stops just short of too much.2009 - Ramot Naftaly - Petite Verdot - Different and got much better second day. Not like the Kadesh Barnea.. Not as BIG> Yet enjoyable and a nice new twist on what is going on in the Homeland Grape zone!

Seudahs Mashiach:(Started by Baal Shem Tov 250 Years ago)2011 Recanati Special Reserve White - WOW... Love it... Had the 6 people around me... some who don't even like wine with BIG Smiles.2006 Falesco Marcilliano - Always awesome...

Shirah Power to the People 2009 - This is a Syrah blended from fruit sourced at 2 esteemed Californian vineyards. Unfortunately, there is not much that stuck to my mind about this wine. I typically don't like to get bogged down with comparisons, but if it helps people know that I liked it better than the Hagafen Prix Syrah 2005 then I'll state it, though that isn't saying much. Of the three Syrahs I had over the holiday, I liked the Flam best. B-/*/N

I had the Flam Syrah and Power on Pesach too. I thought that Power had far more going on than Flam. Flam's fruit is very young and fresh and Power's more exotic but I feel Power is way more complex. I am biased though. I had the Classico too and was shocked at how young the wine tasted - too young. Then I saw it was aged for just 10 months. I'll have to revisit the Flam Syrah...

I really liked the 2009 Adir A, 2006 Adir Cabernet Sauvignon, and absolutely LOVED the 2005 Yiron - man did this wine taste like it is supposed to!! The 2008 Covenant Red C was green, herbal, and extracted. The Adir Bluff Port - was fun, who cares if they used Chaptalization - it is really nice. The 2007 Yarden Chard was way way too over oaked.

2005 Yarden Cab: a big wine coming into its own. Still 1-2 years from peak. Rogov's notes holding true. Should hold a few more years 2005 Segal Unfiltered: Muscular, deep, needed 30 min to open. Should hold a few more years

2010 Galil Mountain Cab and Merlot: a thoughtful guest brought both. The Merlot had more balance, the Cab needed more time to open, and needed a fresh roast with au jus to keep the tannins in check.